Circular No: NP/219/14

LA/44/14

29th October 2014

TO ALL BRANCHES, REGIONAL COUNCILS & REGIONAL OFFICES

SCAM ALERT

Dear Colleague,

I am most concerned to learn that our members are being contacted by non-union law firms to deal with their personal injury claims and disease claims on terms that may not be as advantageous as our Unions scheme. 

Our members are being “cold called” by High Street firms and claims companies who are wooing them away from the Union scheme with the promise of “no win no fee schemes”, but hidden in the small print are hefty legal fees which are deducted from their compensation at the end of the case and which they weren’t told about.

We must warn our members against signing up to these schemes. The latest “cold calls” are chasing members to claim noise induced hearing loss. Our members should be made aware of these unscrupulous firms and pointed in the direction of the Unions Legal Services.

One call from the member to 0845 712 5495 will put them through to our solicitors Thompsons in England and Wales; Drummond Miller in Scotland and Christine McCrossan for offshore workers.

Our members will be given specialist good advice and their claims won’t be under settled and we won’t take deductions form their compensation.

We must defend our Union’s Legal Services and ensure that our members use them and get maximum benefit from doing so. By using our scheme they can be safe in the knowledge that they get 100% of their compensation.

Don’t let our members be ripped off, ensure that they get this message and the number above. I shall shortly be sending out posters to the Branches and Regional Offices for you to display in prominent places so that our members are fully informed.

I would be grateful if you could bring the contents of this Circular to the attention of your Branch members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Mick Cash

General Secretary